Mayor Addresses Controversial Hotel Proposal In Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Mayor Jay Gillian has addressed the controversial $150 million luxury hotel proposed for the Boardwalk by Icona Resorts CEO Eustace Mita.

"After consideration of the ICONA presentation to City Council at their February 23 public meeting, I spoke to Eustace Mita to express my concerns," Gillian shared in an update on Tuesday.

"I told Mr. Mita that while I understand the need for hotel rooms in Ocean City, I cannot and will not support his proposal to the council," Gillian said.

The proposal outlined a luxury hotel that would be between 5th and 6th Streets next to Wonderland Pier. Neither Gillian nor members of City Council commented on the proposal at the meeting.

There hasn't been a new hotel in Ocean City in more than 50 years, Mita said at the presentation, as many former hotels have been transformed into condominiums. Read more: $150 Million Luxury Hotel Could Come To Ocean City Boardwalk

In 2022, high rise hotels were a major topic in the mayoral election. Both candidates, Gillian and then-Councilman Keith Hartzell, voiced opposition to building high rise hotels on the Boardwalk.

"As long as I'm mayor it's absolutely not going to happen," Gillian said in reference to building high rise hotels at the time.

Mita also co-owns Wonderland Pier with Gillian, having entered a partnership in 2021 when Wonderland Pier was at risk of foreclosure.

Some residents spoke at the meeting after the proposal to voice fears of the potential hotel hurting Ocean City's reputation as a family town and pricing families out.

Others are concerned that a luxury hotel would bring alcohol into the dry town, though Mita said at the proposal that Icona Ocean City would not have a "brew pub" as with his other hotels.

Along with a variety of approvals, the hotel would have needed a Zoning Board approval and the city would have needed to sell the land to Mita.